MAYFIELD —
McHala Greene’s
dreams of being
a petroleum
engineer are
more than just
gas.
Out of the more
than 15
specialties
within the
general field of
engineering,
petroleum
engineers help
locate
depositories of
natural gas and
oil, then devise
methods for
removing the
substances. That
means physics,
chemistry,
geology, math
and much more,
which suits Ms.
Greene. The mere
mention of the
subjects, or
petroleum
engineering,
brings a grin
from the
18-year-old, who
was among the
St. Rose Academy
seniors
graduating
Saturday.
“Science is just
a passion for
me,” she said.
“I knew that I
wanted to do
engineering for
a while.”
With the help of
her teachers and
School Director
Charles Barlow,
Ms. Greene
worked to
prepare herself
for the
collegiate
workload.
“I took every
math class I
could,” she
said. “They
changed the
schedule so I
could get
statistics at
the end of the
school day.”
Her calculus
class was in the
morning, she
added. Physics,
chemistry and
computers were
also
incorporated
into her
schedule.
“Physics was one
of my favorite
classes,” Ms.
Greene said,
punctuating her
words with hand
gestures. “We
built
catapults.”
Ms. Greene
credits her
physics teacher,
Dan Vannan, and
math teacher,
Karen Viena,
with being the
most influential
educators in her
life.
“(Ms. Viena) had
me through every
math class I’ve
ever had,” Ms.
Greene said.
“She really
pushes me.”
While she said
she knew she
would choose
some area of
engineering, her
uncle, Michael
Melnik, a
petroleum
engineer in the
Pittsburgh area,
played a role in
her decision.
“He’s got a lot
of digging
machines,” Ms.
Greene said.
“One is a
diamond-tip
drill that can
drill down
deep.”
The daughter of
Lorna Maurer and
John Greene, Ms.
Greene will
start the
academic road to
petroleum
engineering in
the fall at Penn
State’s Hazleton
campus. After
two years, she
said she will be
transferring to
the main campus
in State
College.
“I’m just really
excited about
going,” she
said. “Some of
my friends are
bummed, but I
can’t wait to go
to college.”
Contact the
writer: jroselle@timesshamrock.com
Class of 2007
Carl William
Evans, McHala
Cassandra
Greene, Lindsey
Ann Knowlton,
Edward Joseph
Kozlowski, Emily
Alexandra Link,
William Bradley
Lopatofsky,
Matthew
Christopher
Martines, Lauren
Marie Risboskin,
Danielle Alice
Wallace and
Jennifer Lynn
Wittich.
Valedictorian:
Lauren Risboskin
Parents: John
and Marie
Risboskin
Activities:
National Honor
Society, student
government vice
president, mock
trial team,
Students Against
Destructive
Decisions
president,
spiritual life
committee, art
club treasurer,
Miss C Softball
League team
captain, varsity
cheerleading,
journalism club
and student
newspaper,
Crusader
Connection.
Plans: St.
Lawrence
University to
major in English
literature.
Salutatorian:
Jennifer Wittich
Family: Elly
Culotta, her
aunt
Activities:
Service club,
prom committee,
Students Against
Destructive
Decisions,
softball team,
4-H Horse Club,
gives equestrian
lessons.
Plans: Penn
State University
to major in
aerospace
engineering.
